Systems and methods for sample image capture using integrated control

ABSTRACT

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for sample image capture using integrated control. A digital microscope or other imaging device can be associated with a sample chamber containing cell, tissue, or other sample material. The chamber can be configured to operate using a variety of environmental variables, including gas concentration, temperature, humidity, and others. The imaging device can be configured to operate using a variety of imaging variables, including magnification, focal length, illumination, and others. A central system control module can be used to configure the settings of those hardware elements, as well as others, to set up and carry out an image capture event. The system control module can be operated to control the physical, optical, chemical, and/or other parameters of the overall imaging environment from one central control point. The variables used to produce the image capture can be configured to dynamically variable during the media capture event.

FIELD

The present teachings relate to systems and methods for sample imagecapture using integrated control, and more particularly, to platformsand techniques for an integrated digital microscopy platform whichcontrols the configuration of sample chamber, media capture, and otheroperational settings from a single and integrated control point.

BACKGROUND

In the field of microscopy for medical, research, and otherapplications, it has been known to use digital imaging to capture videoof incubated samples contained within a sample chamber. In those typesof applications and others, an electronically controlled microscope hasbeen coupled to various control logic to adjust focal length, depth,illumination parameters, and other settings to control the exposuresbeing taken by the video device.

In those types of applications, samples are typically housed for imagingby the imaging device in a sample or environmental chamber. The chambermay enclose a plate containing medical samples, such as tissue or cellcultures used for various diagnostic purposes. The chamber can includeone or more environmental variables that can be set for the duration ofan exposure event. Those variables can include conditions such as theamount or concentration of environmental gases present in the chamber,such as carbon dioxide or oxygen. Those variables can likewise includeconditions such as the temperature, humidity, and other physicalconditions of the chamber. The growth rate or other characteristics ofthe sample in the chamber can therefore be imaged and examined, based onthose sets of conditions or others. The positioning of that chamber andthe setting of environmental conditions within that chamber

However, in known digital microscopy platforms, the settings of theenvironmental chamber, the settings of the video or other media capturedby the imaging device, and the settings of the imaging device itself arecontrolled by separate control logic, manufactured by separate vendorsand not provided with interoperable features. Thus, users who need toprepare an exposure event, arrange the video or other capture of thatevent, conduct that controlled exposure and record the resulting mediafor future review, are forced to interact with several independent andpossibly incompatible systems. Moreover, even once the variousconfiguration settings, event timing, and related operational detailsare prepared, conventional digital microscopy platforms are locked intoperforming the exposure or experiment based on those settings, with nopossibility of adjusting or altering those settings while the exposureevent is taking place.

It may be desirable to provide methods and systems for sample imagecapture using integrated control, in which a digital imaging platformcan be controlled and operated from a single control point in acomprehensive fashion, and during which various environmental conditionsin the sample chamber can be dynamically changed during the exposurerun.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the presentteachings and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the present teachings. In the figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall environment, including imaging hardware,which can be used in systems and methods for sample image capture usingintegrated control, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a user interface and various imaging, environmental,and other controls, according to various aspects;

FIG. 3 illustrates a user interface and various imaging, environmental,and other controls, according to various aspects in further regards;

FIG. 4 illustrates a user interface and various imaging, environmental,and other controls, according to various aspects in further regards;

FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface and various imaging, environmental,and other controls, according to various aspects in further regards;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of processing that can be used in sampleimage capture using integrated control, according to variousembodiments; and

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary hardware, software, and other resourcesthat can be used in sample image capture using integrated control,according to various embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods forsample image capture using integrated control. More particularly,embodiments relate to platforms and techniques for the digital imagingof incubated samples using integrated control, which can includedynamically varying environmental controls.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent teachings, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Where possible the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall environment 100 in which systems andmethods for sample image capture using integrated control can operate,according to aspects. In aspects as shown, the overall environment 100can include an imaging device 108, such as a microscope equipped with adigital sensor. The digital sensor can be or include a video camera, astill-image camera, and/or other type of sensor or device. The digitalsensor of the imaging device 108 can be equipped or configured to detectimages using visible, infrared, and/or other light frequencies,wavelengths, or ranges. The imaging device 108 can, in general, beconfigured to take images of the interior of a chamber 102. The chamber102 can contain a set of samples 106 for instance located in a sampleplate 104. In implementations, the imaging device 108 can incorporate orbe connected with a source of illumination, such as laser or otherillumination, to allow irradiation of the set of samples 106. The set ofsamples 106 can be or include, for instance cells, tissues, fluids, orother biological materials or specimens. In aspects, the imaging device108 can also be configured or used to image non-biological samples orspecimens. In implementations, the chamber 102 can be positionable usinga stepper motor or other apparatus to move the chamber 102, or can befixed in place with imaging elements of the imaging device 108 beingpositionable to image different portions of the sample plate 104. Inimplementations as shown, the chamber 102 can be connected to a chambercontrol 124, which can control he introduction of gases, regulation oftemperatures, and other conditions of the chamber 102 using valves,supply lines, heating elements, and/or other hardware. The chambercontrol 124 can be or include a computer, embedded controller, and/orother hardware, software, and/or logic, and can be connected to anoverall system control module 110, and other resources of theenvironment, through various network connections.

According to aspects, and as also shown, the imaging device 108 canlikewise be connected to the system control module 110, which can beconfigured to interact with the imaging device 108 as well as otherresources including a user interface 114 and a data store 116, to carryout imagining operations on the set of samples 106 or other objects ofinterest. In aspects, the system control module 110 can be or includehardware, software, and/or other resources to control the imaging device108 and all associated operations, in an integrated manner. The systemcontrol module 110 can, in embodiments, be or include a desktop, laptop,and/or other computer provisioned with applications, services, and/orother logic to control the imaging device 108 and other elements of theoverall environment 100. In implementations, the system control module110 can reside in one local computer, such as a laptop or desktopcomputer. In other implementations, the system control module 110 can behosted in one or more remote computers, such as computers connected viathe Internet and/or other public or private networks. In aspects, thesystem control module 110 can likewise be implemented, in whole or part,in a cloud-based network.

The chamber 102, system control module 110, data store 116, display 112,and/or other elements can, in implementations be linked via variousconnections, such as a universal serial bus (US) connection orconnections, in a local area network (LAN) such as an Ethernet LAN,through the Internet, and/or through other networks, channels, orconnections. In implementations, any one or more of those networkelements, nodes, or resources can again be hosted locally or remotely.

The user interface 114 can be presented on a display 112, such as alight emitting diode (LED) or other computer display. The user interface114 can present to the user or operator of the imaging device 108 andenvironment 100 a set or series of configuration settings andoperational controls, to allow the user or operator to set up, schedule,and execute any desired incubation or treatment of the set of samples106, while capturing video, still-image, or other media representationsof the development of the set of samples 106 under the configuredimaging and environmental variables. The resulting video or other dataor files can be stored to a data store 116, which can be or include alocal or remote hard drive or other type of data storage.

When the video capture event is complete, the system control module 110can further be used to review the captured media via the user interface114, such as to view, rewind, speed up, step through or otherwiseobserve selected portions of the video or other files. As noted, all ofthe various operations including setting the environmental controls onthe chamber 102, controlling the optical, exposure, or other imagingvariables of the imaging device 108, storing captured media to the datastore 116, and retrieving and playing the captured media on the display112 or other output, can be controlled via the system control module110, without a necessity for other control logic, software, or controlpoints.

More specifically and as for instance illustrated in FIG. 2, the usercan operate a set of environmental controls 202 via the user interface114 to set, edit, adjust, and/or otherwise configure the physicalconditions within the chamber 102. Those can include, but are notlimited to, variables such as internal temperature of the chamber 102,the humidity level, carbon dioxide concentration level, oxygen depletionstate, pressure, and/or other variables or parameters. Those physicalconditions in the chamber 102 can be controlled or manipulated usingvacuum lines or connections, gas sources, heating or cooling elements,and/or other attachments or hardware. In implementations, the set ofenvironmental controls 202 can also include or regulate the introductionof reagents, growth factors, and/or other adjuvants that may be used tostimulate or modify the growth of the sample 106. Those conditions andhardware can, once more, be connected to and directly or indirectlycontrolled via the chamber control 124, which again can communicate withthe system control module 110 to receive configuration settings andother instructions or data.

In addition to the control of environmental variables within chamber102, the system control module 110 can control additional features ofthe operation of the imaging device 108, including, as shown in FIG. 3,a set of exposure controls 302. The set of exposure controls 302 caninclude, as illustrated, a specification of the position of the sampleplate 104, the type of illumination to be applied to the sample plate104, imaging modes such as pan or zoom, and others. Illuminationvariables controlled by the system control module 110 can include anindication of the type of fluorescent beacon being used in the imagingof the sample 106, as well as a slider bar (shown) or other control forthe intensity of the light, coarse and fine focus or auto adjustcontrols, and others. Positioning of the imaging device 108 to focus onindividual sample wells in sample plate 104 can also be performed. Itwill be appreciated that other controls can be used in the set ofexposure controls 302.

The set of exposure controls 302 can, as illustrated in FIG. 4, likewiseincluding additional imaging settings such as magnification levels,monochrome and color settings (including e.g. brightfield and phasesettings, additional beacon settings, transparency, fine focus, and/orother variables or settings. The set if exposure controls 302 can, stillfurther, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, include controls or settingsrelated to the time duration, scheduling, and execution of the mediacapture event controlled by the system control module 110. Inimplementations as shown, the set of exposure controls 302 in thisregard can include settings for the identification of scenes, beacons,counters reflecting remaining time of exposure, dashboards or otherdisplays for the environmental settings 302 in the chamber 102contemporaneous with the image capture, and/or other time, scheduling,or other controls. It may be noted, again, that the set of environmentalcontrols 302 can be set, configured, or programmed to dynamically changeduring the course of an image capture event. For instance, the imagingdevice 108 can be configured using the system control module 110 to takevideo image streams of the set of samples 106 over a 1 hour, 24-hour, orother period, during which temperature increases and/or decreases,carbon dioxide or oxygen concentrations increase and/or decrease,humidity levels increase and/or decrease, illumination wavelengthsand/or intensities increase and/or decrease, or any other configurationsetting controlled by system control module 110 is adjusted, altered,updated, and/or otherwise dynamically changed.

It may be further noted that the set of exposure controls 302, the setof environmental controls 202, and other information can be embedded orrecorded in the media captured and stored in the media capture event.For instance, when the media consists of digital video, thoseconfiguration settings can be recorded in a textual strip located at thebottom of the video frames, and/or in other locations. The sameinformation can be recorded in instances where the media consists ofdigital still photographs, or other media formats or types.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of optical, configuration, and otherprocessing that can be performed in systems and methods for sample imagecapture using integrated control, according to aspects. In 602,processing can begin. In 604, a user can initiate the system controlmodule 110 and/or other related hardware, software, or services used inconjunction with the imaging device 108. That initiation can take placeby the manual starting of an application on a computer or other controlplatform, and/or can be initiated automatically by programmed control,for instance based on predetermined schedule or triggering events. In606, the system control module 110 can generate and/or present the userinterface 114 to the user, such as by displaying a graphical userinterface (GUI) on the display 112. In 608, the system control module110 can receive the set of environmental settings 202, for instancesettings provided by manual user input via the user interface 114. Inimplementations, the set of environmental settings 202 can includedefault or initial settings. In 610, the system control module 110 canreceive the set of imaging settings 302, which can again be received inthe form of user input via the user interface 114, and/or which can beretrieved from a data store for default or other purposes.

In 612, the system control module 110 can configure, provisional,install, and/or otherwise initiate the set of environmental settings202, the set of imaging settings 302, and/or other parameters needed forthe operation of the imaging device 108. In aspects, the system controlmodule 110 can transmit those settings to the various elements of theimaging device 108 and environment 100 via messages over a USBconnection, over a LAN, over the Internet, over a wireless dataconnection, and/or via other channels or connections. Inimplementations, some or all of the transmitted configuration data canbe stored at local points within the imaging device 108, the chamber102, and/or other elements or nodes of the environment 100, as well asbeing stored in the system control module 110.

In 614, the system control module 110 can begin an image capture event,such as the initiation of the recording of a video stream which imagesthe set of samples 106 in the chamber 102. According to aspects, thebeginning of the image capture event can bet set to take place at apredetermined, programmed, and/or event-triggered time, and/or can bemanually initiated by a user operating the system control module 110. In616, the system control module 110 can store, encode, and/or otherwiserecord the captured video or other imaging data, for instance to thedata store 116. The captured imaging data can for instance be stored orrecorded in any known media file or format, including, simply forexample, the audio video interleave (avi) format, the Motion PicturesExperts Group 4 (MPEG-4) format, the Windows™ Media Video (wmv) format,and/or others.

In 618, the system control module 110 can dynamically update and/orreconfigured the set of environmental settings 202, the set of imagingsettings 302, and/or other configuration settings or values during theongoing image capture event. For example, the selected illumination typeor intensity can be changed at programmed times during the capturing ofa video stream, and/or other changes to the overall configuration of theimaging device 108 and environment 100 can be made. In 620, the capturedmedia from a media capture event can be retrieved and/or presented tothe user for review using the system control module 110. In aspects, theretrieval and viewing of video or other data can be performed at thesame time that a media capture event is taking place, such as by usingadditional screens to view earlier points in the video file while newimaging data is being taken. Retrieval and review can also or instead bedone after the completion of a media capture event. It may be noted thatonce video and/or other data is captured, that media can be viewed byapplications or software other than the system control module 110. In622, processing can repeat, return to a prior processing point, jump toa further processing point, or end.

FIG. 7 illustrates various hardware, software, and other resources thatcan be used in implementations of sample image capture using integratedcontrol, according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the systemcontrol module 110 can comprise a platform including processor 730communicating with memory 732, such as electronic random access memory,operating under control of or in conjunction with an operating system736. The processor 730 in embodiments can be incorporated in one or moreservers, clusters, and/or other computers or hardware resources, and/orcan be implemented using cloud-based resources. The operating system 736can be, for example, a distribution of the Windows™ operating system,Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or otheropen-source or proprietary operating system or platform. The processor730 can communicate with the data store 116, such as a database storedon a local hard drive or drive array, to access or store any of theconfiguration data described herein, including as shown the set ofenvironmental settings 202, the set of imagining settings 302, videoand/or other captured imaging media (along with subsets of selectionsthereof), as well as other content, media, or other data.

The processor 730 can in turn communicate with a network interface 734,such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turncommunicates with the one or more networks 706, such as the Internet orother public or private networks. The processor 730 can, in general, beprogrammed or configured to execute control logic 122 to control variousprocessing operations described herein, including to generate controlsettings for the imaging device 108 and other hardware used in theenvironment 100. The control logic 122 can, in implementations, be orinclude applications, utilities, routines, and/or other softwareconfigured to communicate with the imaging device 108 and otherresources or elements in the environment 100. Other configurations ofthe imaging device 108, the environment 100, associated networkconnections, and other hardware, software, and service resources arepossible.

The foregoing description is illustrative, and variations inconfiguration and implementation may occur to persons skilled in theart. For example, while embodiments have been described in which thesystem control module 110 operates to control one imaging device 108, inembodiments, the system control module 110 can be configured to controlor operate multiple imaging devices or systems at one time. Similarly,while embodiments have been described in which one system control module110 interacts with the imaging device 108, in embodiments, the logiccontained in system control module 110 can be provisioned acrossmultiple local or remote control modules or services. Other resourcesdescribed as singular or integrated can in embodiments be plural ordistributed, and resources described as multiple or distributed can inembodiments be combined.

In various embodiments, the systems and methods of the present teachingsmay be implemented in a software program and applications written inconventional programming languages such as C, C++, etc.

While the present teachings are described in conjunction with variousembodiments, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited tosuch embodiments. On the contrary, the present teachings encompassvarious alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will beappreciated by those of skill in the art.

Further, in describing various embodiments, the specification may havepresented a method and/or process as a particular sequence of steps.However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on theparticular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process shouldnot be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps maybe possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth inthe specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims.In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process should notbe limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, andone skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may bevaried and still remain within the spirit and scope of the variousembodiments.

The embodiments described herein, can be practiced with other computersystem configurations including hand-held devices, microprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. The embodiments canalso be practiced in distributing computing environments where tasks areperformed by remote processing devices that are linked through anetwork.

It should also be understood that the embodiments described herein canemploy various computer-implemented operations involving data stored incomputer systems. These operations are those requiring physicalmanipulation of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. Further, the manipulations performed are often referred toin terms, such as producing, identifying, determining, or comparing.

Any of the operations that form part of the embodiments described hereinare useful machine operations. The embodiments, described herein, alsorelate to a device or an apparatus for performing these operations. Thesystems and methods described herein can be specially constructed forthe required purposes or it may be a general purpose computerselectively activated or configured by a computer program stored in thecomputer. In particular, various general purpose machines may be usedwith computer programs written in accordance with the teachings herein,or it may be more convenient to construct a more specialized apparatusto perform the required operations.

Certain embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on acomputer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any datastorage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by acomputer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include harddrives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-accessmemory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes, and other optical, FLASHmemory and non-optical data storage devices. The computer readablemedium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer systemsso that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion.

The scope of the present teachings is accordingly intended to be limitedonly by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: invoking a system controlmodule operatively connected to a chamber and an imaging device;configuring, via the system control module, a set of environmentalparameters associated with the chamber; configuring, via the systemcontrol module, an image capture event for a sample in the chamber usingthe set of environmental parameters; and capturing media from the imagecapture event via the imaging device.
 2. The method of claim 1, hereinthe chamber comprises a sealed chamber enclosing a sample plate.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the set of environmental parametersassociated with the chamber comprises at least one of— a temperature ofthe chamber, a humidity of the chamber, a pressure of the chamber, or agas concentration value of the chamber.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the imaging device comprises a microscope.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the microscope comprises a digital imaging microscope.6. The method of claim 4, wherein a set of imaging parameters of themicroscope are configurable via the system control module.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein the set of imaging parameters comprises at least oneof— a magnification setting, a focal length setting, a resolutionsetting, an illumination setting, a monochrome setting, a color setting,a fluorescent stain setting, a transparency setting, or a phase setting.8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture event comprises avideo capture of contents of the chamber.
 9. The method of claim 7,wherein the video capture comprises a time-lapse video capture.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the set of environmental variables aredynamically configurable over an interval of the image capture event.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of environmental variablesare recorded in the captured media for the image capture event.
 12. Animaging system, comprising: a first interface to a chamber; a secondinterface to an imaging device; and a processor, communicating with thechamber via the first interface and the imaging device via the secondinterface, the processor being configured to: invoke a system controlmodule operatively connected to the chamber and the imaging device,configure, using user input, a set of environmental parametersassociated with the chamber, configure, using the user input, an imagecapture event for a sample in the chamber using the set of environmentalparameters, and capture media from the image capture event via theimaging device.
 13. The system of claim 12, herein the chamber comprisesa sealed chamber enclosing a sample plate.
 14. The system of claim 13,wherein the set of environmental parameters associated with the chambercomprises at least one of— a temperature of the chamber, a humidity ofthe chamber, a pressure of the chamber, or a gas concentration value ofthe chamber.
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the imaging devicecomprises a microscope.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein themicroscope comprises a digital imaging microscope.
 17. The system ofclaim 15, wherein a set of imaging parameters of the microscope areconfigurable via the system control module.
 18. The system of claim 17,wherein the set of imaging parameters comprises at least one of— amagnification setting, a focal length setting, a resolution setting, anillumination setting, a monochrome setting, a color setting, afluorescent stain setting, a transparency setting, or a phase setting.19. The system of claim 12, wherein the image capture event comprises avideo capture of contents of the chamber.
 20. The system of claim 18,wherein the video capture comprises a time-lapse video capture.
 21. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the set of environmental variables aredynamically configurable over an interval of the image capture event.22. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of environmental variablesare recorded in the captured media for the image capture event.